Im not a Catholic man, But I do trade a lot with SA countries (especially in the caribbean rig) I never saw a single socialist or atheist doing something good for the poor peoples in those countries. However, I always see a lot of Nun, priests and catholic voluntary people helping big time those communities in those countries. Of course, the Catholic church made a lot of big mistakes (like any religion out there) but at least, they are the one who spend time, pain and money on those extremely poor and dangerous countries. As you said before me, You'll never see a atheist or a socialists helping in those communities or countries.
Every ( and i mean every) religious leaders out there had made a lot of mistakes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_evangelist_scandals However, The majority of those mistakes are shit compared to the "mistakes" made by socialism and atheism throught history.
Thank you Viper for the elucidation. I am obliged to you. However , I'm not so sure "Christian" was a common term in the first century. When he did mention them, I think I am right in saying Tacitus obviously was not impressed. "Hated for their abominations. Guilty of hatred against mankind" is how he described those who were later to become more commonly known as Christians. As for Josephus and Pliny the younger, I am only made aware how much Christianity was no more than another cult hardly worth mentioning as Josephus found, but which later Christians thought his reference worth fraudulently altering. Or with Pliny the Younger who simply wanted to know what the official policy was toward those who sing to Christ as if he were a God. I agree with Durrant as far as religion and mythology is an art form, but not with his ideas that releasing society from it leads to the disintegration of all the kind of things religion falsely claims its own. I think it is the fundamental dishonesty in which Christendom and Christians , as I understand you make the distinction, are rendered deeply flawed and corrupt in their establishment, professed understanding and practice of their beliefs. After all we are talking about Pedophile Catholic Priests and Bishops in all their Christianity who committed those vile acts of child sexual abuse . Christendom, and for a thousand years the Roman Catholic Church was the principal church of Christendom - still is in many eyes, institutionally turned a blind eye and knowingly covered up those innumerable acts of abomination. To the last it was that very Christendom itself which presented considerable resistance to exposing and stopping awful crime. All manner of evil and corrupt things can be done in the name of God that cannot be made legitimate in the name of humanity.
After all we are talking about Pedophile Catholic Priests and Bishops in all their Christianity who committed those vile acts of child sexual abuse . In the years after WW2, the Catholic Church "rescued" runaway, abandoned and throwaway children from the streets. The runaways hit the streets to escape abuse of one form or another from their own families. There wasn't training or education on how to deal with children who had been abused. These children grew up and became abusers, whether they were priests or bishops or name your vocation or profession. The die was cast. The stats of abusive priests are the same as you would find in the the general population.
"The rate of same-sex molestation is significantly higher when it involves the clergy. Although it is far too convenient to blame society for the aberrant behaviour of individuals, in this instance it is partially the fault of the religious subculture these persons belong to. It is very stressful for an adolescent who discovers that he/she has sexual desires different from others; it can be far worse for one who is part of a devoutly religious family. Such young people must not only deal with the social stigma attached to their sexual preferences, but the conflict with their own faith. For the deeply religious, sometimes being ordained appears to be the solution to their personal crisis; believing that by dedicating their life to God, the deity will give them the strength to resist their desires. Such a decision ultimately leads to psychological problems primarily because they do not possess the qualities that enable a person to fulfill such a role. Contrary to popular belief, a devotion to God does not make a good priest, it is a devotion to humanity that is essential. One must be a pillar of strength for those in need, and because your duty is to help others cope with their personal demons, a clergyman has to be relatively free of his own. Constant repression of sexual desire can lead to serious mental problems, and for the pederast, entering the priesthood serves to delay the inevitable, and concentrates people with the disorder in the profession. Thus we have an inordinate rate of this kind of abuse in traditional religious organizations." http://www.reasoned.org/e_sex.htm#4
This is no longer only about a few individuals nutmeg, or what statistical correlations can be made to populations at large.. This is to do with an actual institutionalization of systemic sexual abuse by Christian religious authorities on a massive scale. So strong that Christian belief and adherence percolated major bodies including Police and Government itself. It turns out this calculated perversion of power and trust caused entire administrations to fail in bringing what actually is the collective body of Christians itself accountable under the law. You cannot mitigate these Christian abhorrenceâs by Christian do-gooding. Christian charity begins at home as it yields healthy dividends to the movement as a whole anyway. It cannot be passed off as just a few bad apples or nothing to do with Christendom, Christians or religion any longer , and indeed would not have been, if it were not for the fact that the malign influence of Christian might and incorporated abominations had been allowed to prejudice justice itself. It's a horrendous example of what you get when religion is no longer clearly separated from State .
It's interesting, sex with children is apparently also the norm among Buddhist monks. In their culture it is not (yet) stigmatized so could one assume that it does not similarly traumatize there as it does here?
This is to do with an actual institutionalization of systemic sexual abuse by Christian religious authorities on a massive scale. So strong that Christian belief and adherence percolated major bodies including Police and Government itself. It turns out this calculated perversion of power and trust caused entire administrations to fail in bringing what actually is the collective body of Christians itself accountable under the law. ------------------------------ Perhaps. OTH. The same could be said re day care sex abuse hysteria. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_care_sex_abuse_hysteria
Not every priest in the catholic church is a homosexual child abuser. Yet every catholic priest that abused a child was a homosexual. So the problem is not with Priests, but with homosexuals... A group of people that many of you left wing nut jobs give more and more tolerance to everyday, crying more and more about their "rights". If you want to hire someone for a job and you find out they are a homosexual, you cant discriminate against them because of that immoral fact. Its really as sickening as if you found out a job applicant was a child molester or a rapist and the government said you couldnt discriminate against them. The bible had it right in leviticus....they should be put to death. If that happened you would see child molestation rates drop 90%. (not to mention HIV would drop off the map)